


The Automat

by backtoblack101



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 14:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4023160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backtoblack101/pseuds/backtoblack101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Howard attempts to find Peggy a date and in spite of one major screw up along the way actually succeeds... kinda.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Automat

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm reading this book called "The Gay Metropolis" about the history of homosexuality in America (I've only just started it but it's actually really cool thus far) and on one of the first damn pages of the book it mentioned that automats located around Broadway were extremely popular hangouts for gay men in the 40's. Naturally this instantly led me to think of the fact that Angie worked in an automat and well... here we are.

“Howard Stark _where_ are you taking me?” It was Peggy’s first time back in New York since the war had ended and in two days she was due to start her new job at the SSR and was it _really_ that much to ask for her friend to simply drop her off at the apartment she’d rented so she could unpack – like really?

“Y’know that’s always been the problem with you Peg,” Howard scolded, looking back over his shoulder at her while continuing his march down a street two blocks off Broadway. “Not a spontaneous bone in your body.”

Peggy huffed out an indignant breath. “Well honestly can you blame me?” She’d been spontaneous in her decision to allow Howard to collect her from the airport and look how that had worked out.

Howard just ignored her though and instead continued to lead her down the street, pausing every now and then to check the names written above the door of each establishment. None of the places he stopped in front of seemed too unsavoury and for a moment, just a moment, that gave Peggy some inkling of false hope that perhaps for once in his life Howard wasn’t going to do something that would irritate her.

Needless to say it wasn’t long before she was left with an all too familiar feeling of disappointment.

“Here we are.” Howard stopped so suddenly Peggy almost collided with him, though she saved herself just in time to notice the building he was staring into.

“An automat?” Peggy snapped, glancing in through the window. “You dragged me all the way here for lunch?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Howard scoffed. “I dragged you all the way here to get you a date.” Then he headed into the establishment, leaving Peggy standing outside with her jaw hanging agape.

She didn’t know whether to turn on her heel and leave or whether to follow him just to give him a piece of her mind. He wanted to find her a date. It had barely been a year since she’d lost Steve and now she was starting a new life for herself in a new city with a new job and Howard Bloody Stark really thought a boyfriend was a distraction she needed in her life. Honestly he was just so god damn –

Through the window she saw him wave for her to come in and really she saw no other choice. Her bags were all safely locked in the trunk of his car and it wasn’t like she knew anyone else in the city that she could hide out with for a couple of hours until Howard let go of the notion to find her love. So instead she balled her hands into fists, clenched her jaw, and pushed through the revolving door that led into the automat.

“Now, I know what you’re thinkin…” Howard began when Peggy took a seat opposite him in one of the booths.

“Really?” Peggy deadpanned. “Because if you actually knew what I was thinking I’m quite sure you’d be running by now.”

“Listen I ain’t saying you’ve got to fall in love,” he insisted, ignoring the way she continued to glare at him. “But c’mon Peg, look around. This place is full of nice looking guys that’re probably just busting to get to know you.”

Peggy sighed and, for the first time since she’d entered the automat, actually took a moment to look around at its patrons, if for no other reason than simply to appease her friend. What she saw though wasn’t the groups of young men salivating over her that Howard had undoubtedly imagined. In fact, as far as she was concerned, there wasn’t a single man in the place that had paid her a blind bit of notice since she’d followed Howard inside – and after another curious look around the room it suddenly dawned on her as to why.

“Uh, Howard, how did you find this place?” She tried to keep any trace of amusement from her face but now she was noticing the not so discrete glances the other patrons were giving her oblivious friend and she was quickly finding that keeping a straight face was no easy task.

“Asked about,” Howard explained with a shrug.

“Yes but…” Peggy sighed trying to think of the right way to phrase the question. “What was it you asked _exactly_?”

“Listen if you’re worried I mentioned your name there’s no need,” he told her and all Peggy could do was nod for fear laughter may crack through her voice. “I just asked some fellas I knew from the war if they knew of some place single guys were likely to frequent and they pointed me here.”

“Ah…” Peggy paused then, not quite sure of where to go from there, deciding last minute it was probably best not to mock (for now at least). “Well I regret to inform you…”

“Listen Peg I won’t hear it,” he interrupted quickly. “I get it if you’re still not fully ready to move on from Steve but the least you can do is get yourself a coffee and sit here with me for a half hour to see does anyone catch your eye.”

“Yes but Howard the thing is…”

“Nope.” He stood abruptly from his seat, attracting the attention of several men at the tables around them, much to Peggy’s amusement. “Listen Peg I’m going to the bathroom so I don’t have to listen to any more of your moanin’. Order me a coffee if that cute waitress comes back round while I’m gone.”

Then he was gone and all Peggy could do was stare after him, torn between amusement and horror when a young man two tables down got up after him and followed him towards the bathrooms at the back of the building. For a genius Howard really wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box when it came to things like this. He’d never been terribly good at reading people – probably why he’d thought it a good idea to take her out in search of love in the first place – and Peggy was half considering chasing after him to warn him when a warm voice from behind her caught her attention instead.

“So, what’s a nice lookin’ gal like you doin’ in a joint like this.” It was the waitress – presumably the cute one Howard had mentioned as well because Peggy couldn’t imagine this girl with her golden brown curls and captivating blue eyes being described as anything other than cute.

Peggy smiled at her, enjoying the way her eyes sparkled and her lips remained quirked up in half a smile as she waited for a response. “My friend,” she explained in short, continuing when the waitress just quirked her eyebrow, silently asking for more. “He took me here as some sort of… joke I suppose.”

Now the waitresses smile split into a full grin and Peggy found herself entirely too captivated by the stark contrast of her red lipstick and pearl white teeth. “Oh lemme guess, you asked to be taken to a place fulla nice lookin’ fellas and he brings you to the one place where the guys won’t be admirin’ those legs of yours.” If she was in any way embarrassed by the compliment she’d just paid Peggy she in no way showed it, instead just laughing at her own summation of events.

“That’s not entirely inaccurate,” Peggy agreed. “Though I would add that I never once asked to be taken to a place full of men. Though…” She took another look around the half full diner. “All things considered this is probably the best outcome I could have imagined considering I wasn’t given much of a choice.”

The waitress huffed out another laugh and began bouncing her pencil off her order pad, seeming to consider what exactly to say next. “Y’know I clock out in twenty minutes… maybe I could show you a place even more to your taste?” She ventured after a moment, some hesitation locked behind her long lashes.

It took Peggy longer than it reasonably should have (given where she was and all) to catch onto what the waitress was suggesting and once she did she felt her cheeks turn the most obnoxious shade of crimson imaginable. She could see the waitress noticing it too, the fear crystalizing in her eyes seconds before excuses started spewing from her lips.

“Oh geez that was way too forward of me!” She took a small step back even though she hadn’t been all that terribly close to begin with. “I just presumed with you bein’ here and with what you said an’ all I just thought…”

“Oh, no, no.” Peggy was no idiot and understood fine well just how dangerous it was to ask out someone of the same sex, even in a city as open as New York, and the poor girl in front of her looked absolutely petrified at the thought that it had backfired. “I didn’t mean…” She reached out to grab the waitresses hand then thought better of it, then thought better of it again and after slight hesitation let her fingers curl around her shaking wrist. “You must forgive me I’m uh… not well versed in this sort of thing.”

What happened behind closed bedroom doors in boarding school and beneath the canopy of a tent during the war was one thing though Peggy had never actually considered women as a serious option before. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t attracted to the waitress though – she had a certain air of confidence about her that appealed to Peggy and she was certainly attractive in a natural and understated kind of way.

“Well warn a girl why don’t ya.” She looked like she could cry from relief. “Not every day I risk gettin’ myself arrested all for the sake of a pretty smile, y’know?”

“You think –“ Not the point Peggy. “Uh yes well either way the place you were talking about, the place I may enjoy a little more than here, it sounds wonderful.”

“Well in that case English you just hold on two ticks til I clock out,” she promised, already pulling her wrist out of Peggy’s fingers and stepping back.

“It’s Peggy,” she called before the waitress had a chance to leave. “My name that is…”

“Angie.” The waitress doubled back on herself to stick out her hand for Peggy to shake. “Pleasure to meet ya English.”

Then with a final smirk she was gone, disappearing behind the counter to finish her shift and leaving Peggy wondering what exactly had just happened – not that she was complaining per say but a date wasn’t exactly what she’d anticipated from her first day in New York, much less with a woman. She didn’t have time to mull over the situation for long though because within seconds Howard had re-emerged from the bathroom, his face considerably paler than when he’d entered.

He sank back into his seat slowly, his eyes going wide when he spoke in a dramatic whisper. “Peg, I’ve may have misinterpreted the situation…”


End file.
